Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Moving Boundaries

"The boundary of what we can accept is the boundary of our freedom" Tara Brach

Some of us become trapped in narratives from our past. And because of that we live in unhappiness and dysfunction.

For example, most at TLC have a long history of drug use. Of crime. Of irresponsibility. Of not having accomplished much in their lives.

And if they identify with this negative history - as many do - then it's hard to go beyond. And those who do, must put forth a heroic effort to change.

But if we move the boundaries of our thinking we can change our lives.

Instead of telling ourselves that we're an addict, an ex-con, or a loser we can reframe our thinking. We can instead tell ourselves something different that may change the course of our life.

We could start looking at our past as a series of wrong choices brought on by whatever. Maybe we had an abusive upbringing. Perhaps we hung out with the wrong people. Maybe we had no moral compass as a child. The reasons we lived the way we did aren't important now. The past offers no solution.

It's important for us to write a new script. One that says "That's who I used to be. Today I'm taking a turn, going on a different path. I'll recreate myself."

A simple thought exercise like this can re-shape our view of who we are. When we do that, change is easier.

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